Nathan thompson



N. PETERS. PHOTD-LITHQGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, D C.

if? 5mm N.FETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C,

UNITEB STATES PATET FFTO.

NATHAN THOMPSON, JR., OF IVILLIAMSBURGH, NEW YORK.

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,510', dated August 28, 1855.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, NATHAN THOMPSON, Jr., of IVilliamsburgh, Kings count-y, New York, have invented a certain new and useful collapsible boat, which may be employed for any purpose which boats usually serve, and is also especially serviceable as a pontoon, with several of which a bridge may be speedily constructed; and I hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings, furnishes a full and exact description of my invention.

In the drawings; Figure 1, represents a top view of my boat, expanded and ready for use. Fig. 2, is a transverse section through the same, in the same state. Fig. 3, is an end view of the same, from the bow or stern thereof. Fig. 4, is a side view of the boat, when collapsed, or shut up, ready to stow in a small space, either on ship board, or in a magazine, or on a vehicle. Fig. 5, is a perspective view, from the upper side of such a boat, open and ready for use. Fig. 6, is a partial section, lengthwise, through an expanded boat. Fig. '7, is a\ cross section through a boat, when shut up, near the center thereof. Fig. 8, is also a cross section, showing the various parts in the position they assume when partially expanded. Fig. 9, is a view on a large scale of a hinge. Fig. 10, is a view of one of the end hinges, showing also the attachment of the keelson or center rib of the boat. Fig. 11, is a birds eye view, on a large scale, of one end of the boat. Fig. 12, is a transverse section, through the boat, near one end thereof, when open and also through a flexible air chamber, which I sometime intend to locate there. Figs. 13, and 14, are longitudinal horizontal sections, through the ends of a boat, showing the keelson and its attachment, and the hinge which secures the sides at the ends thereof. Fig. 15, is a birds eye view of several boats, arranged in a row, and attached each to each, with a iooring, covering each of them as a deck, and the whole constituting a pontoon bridge. Fig. 16, is a transverse section through .one of these boats, when expanded. Fig. 17, a similar section through the same, partially expanded. Fig. 18, is a birds eye view of a center keelson, and its flaps as expanded. Fig. 19, is a perspective view of a bridge boat from the upper side. Fig. 20, is side elevation of a collapsed boat, upon a modified form of construction, and Fig. 21, is a perspective view from the top of the same boat.

The same lett-ers refer to the same parts, in all the figures.

The various advantages of collapsible boats are recognized by intelligent seamen and engineers, and are in fact generally known and appreciated; I do not, therefore, herein, intend to go at any length into that matter, stating merely that they have, heretofore, generally, been constructed of webs of water proof fabric, held in place when open, either by expanding, framing, or by iniated tubes of similar material, although such has not always been the case. In my boat, however, water proof or nearly water proof fabric is used only as an accessory,

.producing, in connection with other parts,

a nearly perfect result, and is not employed as the chief material, from which the boat is constructed. I attain therefore rigidity, and durability, in a more than usual degree. There are, however, some features, which all collapsible boats should possess; and these, I have endeavored to secure in as perfect a form as possible.

A collapsible boat should, in the first place, be as seaworthy and safe as possible, capable of being handled, and managed, as is an ordinary boat. Such requisites can not be attained in a great perfection, as in a boat which always retains its boat form, but I have arrived pretty nearly at this result; second, it should occupy, when collapsed, but small space, in relation to its capacity, when expanded-and should, also when collapsed, be easy to handle and stow either on ship board, or a vehicle, or in a magazine; third, it should be capable of prompt change, from the collapsed to the expanded state, and when expanded, it should be securely held, so that there should exist no danger of collapsing when afloat or loaded-and there should be no intricate mechanism to allow of the transformation from one form to the other, and no complicated fastening required for holding the bo-at expanded. If, in addition to these requisites, the boat be strong, neither easily liable to injury, nor quickly deteriorated by wear, and it be also cheap, as contrasted with an ordinary boat-all necessary ends are attained. I believe that my boat fills all these requisites, in a better manner, than those who have preceded me, whose aims have been the same, but who, have used different plans for effecting these objects.

My boat consists of three essential parts, my sides, bottom, and center keelson, and when these are collapsed, they all lie with their surfaces nearly parallel, so that the thickness of the collapsed boat is equal, or nearly so, to that of two sides, two bottoms, and o-ne keelson, of an ordinary boat, if these could be straightened out and piled one upon the other. In constructing it, a long center keelson is procured, and to it, are attached, along the two corners of the same edge, by proper hinges, twoor more-flaps, which each serve as half a boats bottom. To the ends of the same keelson, are secured, by proper hinges, two flexible or elastic sides. To this boat, are also secured, proper' covers for rendering the joints and meeting of parts water proof, and also are added certain seats, decks, air` chambers, etc., if they be deemed necessary.

In the various figures, a a represents a keelson, to which, by proper hinges a a', are secured flaps or bottom pieces Z) each straight, on the side attached to the keelson, and on the other, of such shape as shall correspond with the shape of the bilge of the boat. To each end of this same keelson, are secured, by hinges of a peculiar construction, the ends-bow and stern-of the sides c c, which may be constructed of one piece of flexible, or elastic material, suchas wood, or may be in severable pieces, hinged each to each, so that the boats water lines shall be an irregular polygon, such hinges are shown at Z CZ, and when the boat is collapsed, keelson, flaps, and sides lie side by side, touching each other. As the boat is opened, by pul-ling the sides apart, the ends of the sides approach each other, the keelson, being, as it were, the chord and the sides, the arc of a circle. The flaps and keelson are therefore only as long as the boat, when unfolded, and the keelson has, therefore, secured to one or both ends of it, elongated rings, or staples e e, which embrace a bolt f, passing through the two half hinges, which attach the sides together at bow and stern. One or both ends of the sides are therefore, free to slide, with reference to the keelson, and these rings are when the boat is opened, concealed between the projecting ends of the sides, or lie in recesses, formed therein. Zhen the sides are drawn apart, the two flaps are shoved down, see Figs. l, 2, 5, l2, 16, etc., and rest against the sides, near their bottom, or in a recess, or upon a ledge, formed thereon, and form the boats bottom, while they, at the same time, hold it firmly open, it being obvious that weight, either of passengers, or cargo, placed on that bottom, tends to secure the boat rmly in its open position.

The hinges, at the sides of the boat, must have outside or inside of them a piece of flexible water proof material, so secured, as shown at f f', Figs. 2O and 21, or the joints there, must be made water proof, by accuracy of fit, or else a water proof piece may be applied in the interior, which shall also serve to secure the joints, between the flaps and the bottom of the sides. This piece is shown at g g, as attached near the boats gunwale, at the sides and to the outer edges of the flaps near the boats bottom, and serves to prevent water from passing in to the hollow of the boat, either between the joint where the flaps meet the sides, or between the joints at any of the hinges, below the water line. This latter joint, and that, where the flaps are attached to the keelson, may also be secured, as shown in Figs. 20-21, by a piece of fabric 7L ZL, of the whole size of the expanded boat bottom, secured firmly to the sides and covering; the whole outside of the bottom when the boat is expanded, I intend, sometime, to prevent leakage, between any of the joints by strips of fabric, secured above or under the hinges, and partially held in place by them, and also at other times to cushion the edges of the flaps or the sides of the boat at the point of junction between the two, thereby calking the joints. When the interior piece of fabric g g, is employed, and this is the arrangement I prefer; hinge pieces 7c 7c are secured to the flaps near their outside, which when the boat is expanded, may be lifted, see Fig. 2, thereby protecting the inner surface of the fabric, whose exterior, is protected by the side of the boat, itself, thus obviating all danger of puncture, or abrasion of the water proof web.

ln addition to the flaps, as a means of holding the boat expanded, and counteracting the pressure of water, which tends to collapse it when afloat, there are hinged either to the side or the keelson certain swinging pieces Z Z, which, when the boat is folded up, be parallel with the keelson, but when it is expanded, they are opened out, so as to be perpendicular thereto, and brace firmly between the keelson and sides. On top of the pieces Z Z, are hinged other pieces m m, whose surfaces, when the boat is collapsed, are in the same plane with Z Z, but `when the boat is opened out, they may be turned down, so that their upper surfaces become thwarts, and also serve as braces to hold the sides apart. Projections from the ends of these pieces Z Z, m m,- enter into recesses, in the sides, or keelsons and steady them firmly in their open or expanded posiv Y l struct each side of two pieces only. The boat when expanded will then be lozenge shaped, and several of them may be applied closely to each other, with thin ends secured by proper fastenings. To such boats may be applied decks, 0 0, hinged to the upper sides of the keelson, and moving as do the bottom flaps. These decks, when lowered, completely cover the boat, and when several repels are joined together, constitute a continuous bridge, fioor or platform. This pontoon, it is clear, will occupy but little room, when collapsed, and many of them may be stowed in one vehicle, and they are less bulky, more buoyant, easier handled, and less liable to accident or injury, from shot, than the ordinary copper pontoon, and possess, at the same time, every advantage of that contrivance.

Wy boat may be so arranged, as to have dead rise, or be without it; in the drawings, it is represented as with it, the sides, if their bottoms be straight, will then, in the expanded state, project below the fiaps, protecting their points of juncture, at the bilge or else these sides may be cut away, so that their bottoms are, as it were, arched upward, as seen in Figs. 20 and 2l. Then flexible sides are used, hinges at the bow and stern only are needed, as the sides spring outward, when the boat is expanded, somewhat as a bent bow. These sides, whether hinged or not, may be of one thickness of metal, or wood, or of two, inclosing air between them, and there may be one or several such chambers, in each side, or cork, or india rubber tubing, may be secured to the sides; other ways, for making the boat, a life boat may be used, and in general it will be best so to construct the boat, that it shall possess great buoyancy, even when filled with water.

As a further precaution, I intend, sometime, at bow and stern, between the keelson and sides, to adapt water proof bags, see letter p 79, which fold up with the boat, and as it is opened, expand much in the same manner as the nautilus life preserver, such bags being provided with proper valves, to permit the entrance of air, and prevent its escape, when the bag is expanded7 until such valve is opened.

It is hardly necessary to state, that my boat is no more liable to wear, or accident than any ordinary wooden or metallic boat, as no textile fabric, or similar material, is exposed to injury therein, nor is such fabric an essential, in the boat, as the cushioning, and other modes, herein pointed out, may be substituted therefor; or the fabric, if used, may be torn or worn out, without any danger of serious leak; as the joint-s are nearly tight without it, neither is it neces- 4ary, to point out its utility, as derived from its simplicity of construction, its great buoyancy, or its ease of transformation, from one shape to the other, a mere inspection, proving all these points. I, however, do state, that its construction may be in some respects modified, without departing from my invention. For instance, the iaps may be hinged to the sides, andshut down upon the keelson, or the upper part of the keelson may be cut away, leaving it a mere strip, or the flaps may be hinged directly to each other, dispensing altogether with a keelson, in which case the staples or rings, must be connected with swivel joints, to the bow and stern-bolts, or their equivalents; or a sliding oint, may be made in the keelson itself, so that it may elongate and contract, as required; such a joint being the equivalent of the elongated rings or staples; other minor changes, too numerous to specify, might also be made and still the boat would be built on my plan.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claiml. The combination of hinged flaps, or bottom pieces, with elastic or flexible sides, substantially in the manner, and for the purposes herein specified.

2. The combination of hinged flaps, with a center keelson, and fiexible or elastic sides, substantially as herein set forth.

3. I claim, either of these combinations, in connection with water proof fabric, for closing and securing the joints between the several parts, applied substantially as speci- Hed.

4f. I claim a hinged swinging brace, in combination with a hinged thwart, thereto attached, substantially as set forth.

5. I claim, the sliding joint, in combination with the bow and stern hinges, whereby the effective length of a keelson or flaps may be altered, so as to suit the expanded and collapsed states of the boat, substantially as described herein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and afiixed my seal in the city of New York on the 11th day of August, A. D. 1855.

NATHAN THOMPSON, JR.

In presence of- SYLvns'rEu LAY. 

